A day to forget for Lacaze
Australian fullback Matt Burke was born on March 26, 1973
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1966
Few Five Nations seasons have come down to the last kick, but at Cardiff Pierre Lacaze had a penalty to win the match and the Championship. Against a backdrop of jeering, his kick from just inside the touchline drifted wide of the posts and the home support erupted as the final whistle went - Wales had won 9-8 and pipped the French to the title. Fifteen minutes earlier, Stuart Watkins had run 70 yards for a sensational solo try to give Wales the lead.
1973
The birth of Australia's legendary fullback Matt Burke, who racked up 81 caps for the Wallabies in a ten-year career, with his tally of 878 points being the fifth highest of all time when he retired from Test rugby in June 2004, as well as the second highest in Australian history. A World Cup winner with Australia in 1999, Burke scored a remarkable 24 points against South Africa in the semi-final, before bettering that total with 25 against France in a dramatic final in Cardiff.
1921
In the Barbarians' records of their Easter Saturday win at Cardiff it was noted that Cardiff's score was a penalty try "awarded to Tom Johnson on the grounds of obstruction." The try was converted by Jim Sullivan, later a noted rugby league fullback. The Baa-Baas won 10-5.
1949
Haydn Tanner, their captain and scrum-half, played his last Test for Wales. The War curtailed his appearances to 25 in a career that had started against the All Blacks in 1935. He bowed out on a disappointing note - Wales's 5-3 defeat in Paris left them holders of the wooden spoon for the first time since 1937.
2009
Italy's hopes of joining the Magners League received a boost with Celtic Rugby agreeing in principle to allow two sides to enter the competition from 2010-11.
1955
France, on the verge of their outright first Grand Slam, were overpowered 16-11 by Wales in a Championship decider in Paris. The result still gave them a share of the title but they would have to wait another four years for their own crown.
1977
The IRB at its annual meeting decided to introduce free kicks, from which points cannot be scored, from the start of the 1977-78 season; points are also scrapped from marks.
1960
Reigning champions France put on a shining display at Cardiff where their new half-back pair, Pierre Albaladejo and Pierre Lacroix, masterminded a 16-8 defeat of Wales.
2000
New Zealand overpowered defending champions Fiji 31-5 to win the Hong Kong Sevens tournament for the seventh time. It was the ninth ocassion the two sides had met in the Hong Kong final. Fiji had won five, New Zealand four.
1967
France's Guy Camberabero kicked 27 points - a then record for an international match - in the 60-13 defeat of Italy at Toulon.
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